US Navy BF% Formula

RiesigJay
RiesigJay Posts: 151 Member
edited January 24 in Health and Weight Loss
http://fitness.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Body-Fat-Navy

How accurate would you say this is?

I'm getting 25% bodyfat, and I'm not sure if that's right. I'm thinking I'm in the 20's or high teens going by the pictures on this website:

http://www.leighpeele.com/body-fat-pictures-and-percentages

Replies

  • larsensue
    larsensue Posts: 461 Member
    I am getting 33% and being told I am OBESE. Really? according to the pictures I would be around the 20%
  • HardcoreP0rk
    HardcoreP0rk Posts: 936 Member
    Not even remotely accurate for my body type. I am 18% bf and this test has me at 30%. I have wide hips (bone structure) so it's throwing off the calculation severely. I'm narrow everywhere else.
  • RiesigJay
    RiesigJay Posts: 151 Member
    Ahhh, so bone structure throws the numbers off
  • cdjs77
    cdjs77 Posts: 176 Member
    It's more accurate for men than for women, but in general it is affected by body shape. I am 5'9" with a small waist and neck and large hips so it puts my percentage at 20%. However, I recently had it measured and I know that it is much higher than that.
    Also, the picture representations are not very accurate either. You can be as slim as the woman with 20% body fat, but if you aren't as lean, you could still have 30% body fat.
  • watfordjc
    watfordjc Posts: 304 Member
    I use the DOD/Army formula (assume it's the same as the DOD/Navy formula) for an estimation - I have more lean mass than average for my height, and have both wide wrists and shoulders. So far, a comparison with Bod Pod results suggest (for my body) it is less accurate the further from average body fat levels you are (at least in the obesity direction).

    ~1st December 2012 - Bod Pod (Brozeck): 44.18%BF; Bod Pod (Siri): 46.49%BF; DOD/Army: 39.07%BF
    ~26th January 2013 - Bod Pod (Brozeck): 39.62%BF; Bod Pod (Siri): 41.56%BF; DOD/Army: 36.05%BF
    ~20th April 2013 - Bod Pod (Brozeck): 33.84%BF; Bod Pod (Siri): 35.29%BF; DOD/Army: 33.11%BF

    I have included the Bod Pod results using the Siri formula for comparison, which is less accurate than Brozeck outside the 10-30%BF range. NB: My Bod Pod results may not themselves be completely accurate as the computer uses an estimate for my lung capacity as I've not had that measured.

    As far as the DOD/Army formula goes, I'd say it would probably depend on if you are "typical" on how accurate the results are - for men it uses waist, neck and height. So for men, I'd probably say it is OK for an estimate if you are in the lean/average/overfat body fat ranges if your neck measurements go with your body type (e.g. if you have an average sized neck, you also have average sized wrists).

    I use it for a weekly estimate to check I'm heading in the right direction (as with the scales and tape measure), and get a Bod Pod assessment every 12 weeks (8 weeks between the first two - 4 week delay for my first one to remove any early water weight losses from messing with the numbers) for something more accurate.
  • BreytonJay
    BreytonJay Posts: 86 Member
    Welcome to life in the military! It's all a numbers game, and probably hasn't been updated since the 40's!
This discussion has been closed.

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